§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the White Paper Standards, Quality and International Competitiveness does not emphasise the necessity for due consideration to be given to their likely acceptability internationally, in the development of new British Standards, particularly in advanced technologies such as information processing, storage and transmission.
§ The Secretary of State for Trade (Lord Cockfield)The White Paper onStandards, Quality and International Competitiveness makes a number of references to the importance of ensuring that British Standards reflect requirements of world markets. These apply equally to all sectors, including those using advanced technologies. The White Paper also recognises that a larger number of British Standards may need to be derived from foreign or international 599WA standards and reaffirms the Government's commitment to harmonising standards within the European Community in support of the programme for the elimination of technical barriers to trade under Article 100 of the Treaty of Rome.